You — the fans — voted for your favorite performances of the year, from VMA spectacles to Buzzworthy sets. By MTV News staff Beyonce performs at the 2011 VMAs Photo: Getty Images As we continue our weeklong look back on the year in music — MTV kicked things off on Monday with a list of the Best EDM Artists of 2011 — it was hard not to notice that the biggest stars in pop, rock and hip-hop put on some of their most buzzed-about performances — right on our stages. From Adele’s spine-tingling ballad at the VMAs to Two Door Cinema Club’s rendition of the rollicking “What You Know” at Webster Hall, we culled 16 of the best performances of the last 12 months and you, the fans, voted for your favorites. Here, we present #10 to #3. Stay with us as we reveal who walked away with the top spots at 4:59 p.m. ET on MTV! 10. Odd Future, “Sandwitches,” mtvU Woodie Awards Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All Loiter Squad, or Odd Future, for short, were one of this year’s breakthrough acts. And when they hit the stage for this year’s mtvU Woodie Awards, it was clear why. The performance started out tame enough. Tyler, the Creator’s “Yonkers” kicked in and a little person impersonating Tyler approached the stage. The calm didn’t last long, though, as the real Wolf Haley emerged and confronted the pint-size imposter. From that moment on, the raw, rambunctious, rabid energy that got OF noticed took over as Tyler, Hodgy Beats and the rest of the group launched into an unforgettable performance of “Sandwitches.” — Steven Roberts 9. Adele, “Someone Like You,” VMAs Some artists surround themselves with dozens of dancers, seizure-inducing banks of flashing lights and other tricks when they take the stage. But when it comes to Adele’s take on the heartbreaking second single from 21 at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, all it took was a grand piano, a single spotlight and some emotive hand gestures. Perfect. — Gil Kaufman 8. Jack’s Mannequin, “Release Me,” Buzzworthy Live It doesn’t get much more epic than a stripped-down performance right above Times Square. Andrew McMahon of Jack’s Mannequin did exactly that with his ode to growing up and settling down, “Release Me,” for Buzzworthy ‘s special live series. It’s just McMahon, his shades and a piano, and we don’t need much else. — Kevin P. Sullivan 7. Chris Brown, “Yeah 3X/ Beautiful People,” VMAs The white suit, the swagger, the strobing VMA stage and some gravity-defying aerial tricks are what defined Breezy’s jaw-dropping dance clinic at this year’s VMAs. His high-stepping kung fu waltz through Wu-Tang Clan, head-banging ode to Nirvana and mid-air flips again showed that Brown is at his best on an awards-show stage. — G.K. 6. Lil Wayne, “Nightmares of the Bottom,” MTV2 “Unplugged” For his MTV2 “Unplugged” debut in June, Birdman Jr. took the stage wearing a black sweatshirt, black sunglasses and a red fitted baseball cap. Backed by a full band, Wayne launched into his catalog of hits, taking the crowd to musical heights. But one highlight in particular was the MC’s premiere of “Nightmares of the Bottom,” an instant smash-in-the-making that details Wayne’s rise to the top and unwillingness to fail. — Rob Markman 5. Two Door Cinema Club, “What You Know,” New York To say it was a big year for Two Door Cinema Club, the indie-rock group out of Northern Ireland, would be an enormous understatement. The band toured the U.S. for the first time, opening for Tokyo Police Club, and debuted on the American alternative charts with “What You Know.” Two Door Cinema played the song at an MTV Hive -hosted performance at the Studio at Webster Hall. The screaming NYC fans seemed to approve. — K.S. 4. Beyonc
